Landscaping Lead Generation: 9 Effective Tactics for Success

You undoubtedly offer incredible landscaping services, but is that enough to fill your pipeline? The short answer is you could probably be doing more to get quality landscaping leads.

Whether you have been in the industry for a few years or months, you need leads to continue growing and outpace your competitors. With the global industry valued at $335 billion, you can only expect competition to grow.

To grow your business, you’ll need to mix a range of landscaping lead-generation tactics to keep your pipeline full throughout the seasons. Best of all, some tactics are free or cost very little. In this blog, we have gathered 9 of the most effective lead-generation strategies for landscaping businesses to help business owners like you thrive.

Why Landscaping Lead Generation Matters

Running a successful business requires a steady flow of quality leads, regardless of your location or how long you have been in the industry.

A good lead is someone who fits your ideal demographic and location and has a budget that aligns with your pricing structure. On the other hand, a bad lead is someone who only wants to contact you to request information about landscaping without the intention of hiring a landscaper. It can also be someone who lives outside your operation area or has an insufficient budget.

When you create a landscaping marketing campaign that attracts new customers and focuses on lead generation, you will notice that your business is receiving more high-paying and recurring jobs. This will lead to consistent work for your crew, which will result in increased revenue and profit for your business. With consistent work and patience, you will ultimately expand your business and become the go-to service provider for those looking for lawn care services.

Effective Strategies for Generating Landscaping Leads

Undoubtedly, landscaper leads are important. But how do you actually get them? Luckily, there are free and paid lead-generation strategies you can employ to grow your clientele.

Here are nine effective strategies for generating landscaping leads:

Improve Your Website’s Search Ranking with SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) uses relevant industry-related keywords to organically rank your landscaping business’s website at the top of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) like Google. If your SEO game is consistent, your website can continue ranking high on SERPs, outshining your competitors, and generating leads.

The most effective way to maintain your ranking is by adopting a combination of different organic and local efforts, such as:

• Keyword Research: You can use industry-relevant keywords in your blogs, landing pages/homepages, titles, and meta descriptions. This boosts your website’s SERP ranking, increases visibility, drives more traffic to your site, and ultimately generates more leads for your business. For instance, incorporating keywords like “winter landscaping tips” and “latest trends in landscape design” into your content helps attract targeted traffic. You can use Ahrefs and SEMrush to search for high-ranking, relevant landscaping keywords to use.
• Website Structure Optimization: Organize content with clear menu hierarchies and a sitemap to ensure your website and pages are easy for search engines to crawl and index. This improves your SERP ranking, making your site more visible to potential customers. Additionally, a functional and user-friendly website on different devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets enhances user experience, increasing the likelihood of visitors becoming leads.
• Blogs: Regularly posting educational and informative blogs with relevant keywords improves your site’s visibility on search engines, attracting more visitors. Diversify your blog content from information about general landscaping tips to more specific articles on eco-friendly options.
• Local Keyword Optimization: Lastly, this SEO strategy helps your business be more visible in local search results by using keywords specific to where you operate. For example, use local keywords like “Glendale landscaping services” or “lawn care in Pasadena” in your website’s content, titles, and descriptions. If you operate in more than one city, make sure you have city-specific landing pages. This improves your local SERP ranking, making it easier for nearby customers to find you, driving local traffic, and increasing the chances of generating leads from your target areas.

Grow Your Presence on Social Media

With 5.07 billion people using social media worldwide in 2024, social media platforms are an excellent source to reach and attract landscaping leads online. The most popular platforms for connecting with potential landscaping service leads include Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

Here’s how to grow your presence on social media:

• Photos and Videos: The best way to get new clients is to showcase the quality of your landscaping services by posting high-quality professional photos and videos. This visual content can help grab attention and build interest in your services, driving potential leads to contact you.
• Testimonials and Reviews: Ask for reviews from first-time, repeat, and loyal customers to showcase the different experiences and services you provide. Then, post the testimonials through written reviews, images, and videos in a short format highlighting the customer’s problem and how you helped. This showcases your brand’s value and builds trust with prospects. Testimonials serve as social proof, increasing credibility and encouraging leads to choose your services.
• Engagement: Respond to comments under your posts to build a connection and increase engagement with your followers. For example, answer questions about landscaping, provide additional information about your services, and thank customers for their feedback. Engaging with your audience makes them feel valued and more likely to consider and recommend your services.
• Seasonal Tips and Educational Content: Post seasonal tips and tricks for lawn care and garden maintenance, such as proper watering techniques, plant care for different seasons, and landscaping design ideas. Providing valuable educational content positions you as an expert in the field and helps build trust with your audience, making them more likely to reach out for your services.
• Contests: Run different social media contests where your followers share your page and tag their friends to win a free service, such as a lawn consultation or garden makeover. This is a great way to increase engagement and visibility on your online platforms and attract potential leads to your social media profiles.
• Hashtags and Geotags: Use popular landscaping-related hashtags like #landscaping, #gardendesign, #outdoorliving, and #landscapinginglendale to increase the visibility of your posts. Incorporating geotags in your posts allows users in your operating areas to discover your content more easily, as your posts will show among the top results in your tagged location. This local visibility helps attract leads from your target areas.

Use Paid Ads for Targeted Reach

After you have built your website and grown your presence on social media, you can use paid ads to increase your visibility and attract local landscaping leads. To get the most out of your investment in paid ads, consider Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising.

With this model, you only pay a fee when someone clicks on your ad and visits your website. But how does it work? When someone searches for a keyword you are bidding on, your ad will be placed at the top of the SERPs, above organic results, increasing the likelihood of a prospective client clicking on it.

• Keyword Research: Determine which keywords to target using tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ubersuggest. These tools help identify relevant keywords based on search volume, competition, and Cost-Per-Click (CPC) data.
• Local Keywords: To attract local customers, use keywords specific to your service area, such as “landscaping business in Glendale.” Local keywords increase your visibility in local searches, driving more relevant traffic to your site.
• Long-Tail Keywords: Target niche audiences with more specific keywords, such as “affordable eco-friendly garden designs.” These keywords often have lower competition and higher relevance, maximizing your ROI and attracting targeted leads.
• Text Ads: Incorporate keywords into headlines, descriptions, and URLs. Examples include “Affordable Eco-Friendly Gardens” or “Discover the best eco-friendly landscaping services at affordable prices. Compelling CTAs in text ads drives potential leads to take action.
• Responsive Search Ads: These ads automatically adjust your content to show the most relevant message to users. Use variations that highlight your unique services and include CTAs to encourage engagement.
• Visual Ads: Use photos and videos you have created for your social media pages to create engaging visual ads. These ads grab the user’s attention quickly. Make sure to include a strong CTA to drive conversions.

Even if a company doesn’t convert a prospect the first time, that doesn’t mean the opportunity is lost forever. Retargeting can re-engage lost prospects like those who clicked on your ad and scrolled through your landing page but never submitted a form.

When creating retargeting ads, you can segment audiences based on prior interactions to send them personalized ads. For segmented audience ads, you can display the exact service the user was interested in with a personalized message to encourage them to complete the form.

Similarly, for dynamic retargeting ads, you can offer a special discount or limited-time offer to incentivize users to complete their actions. For instance, you might provide a discount like “Get 10% off on your first lawn care service – offer ends soon!” or a limited-time promotion such as “Book a free consultation for your backyard makeover – only available this month!”

List Your Business in Local Directories

We know by now that customers turn to Google to help them find landscapers in their local area. However, many people also consult directories and crowd-sourced review sites for recommendations based on other people’s reviews and ratings. Prospective clients trust these sites because they offer authentic feedback and experiences from real customers, helping them make informed decisions.

Listing your business on these platforms can increase your visibility and credibility, making it a strong lead-generation strategy. Positive reviews and high ratings can attract more potential clients who are looking for trustworthy landscaping services.

To appear in your local directories, you have to manually add your business to their listings. This means including information about your business, contact details, opening hours, and a detailed list of services you offer.

Okay, but there are hundreds and thousands of directories to choose from; which sites should you choose? The most reputable and relevant directory sites for landscaping companies that customers go to for recommendations are:

• Angi
• Home Advisor
• Porch
• Yellow Pages
• Houzz
• Thumbtack
• Yelp for Business

Having five-star reviews on these directory sites helps your business stand out. A five-star rating indicates that other people have tried and loved your work. In fact, according to an online report, 91% of consumers say local branch reviews impact their overall perceptions of big brands in some way.

In addition to general directories, consider some niche sites that focus specifically on landscaping services. These can be particularly effective for generating high-quality leads because they attract visitors specifically looking for landscaping expertise, increasing the chances of generating valuable leads. Key niche sites include:

• landscape.com
• landscapingnetwork.com
• landscapeleadership.com

To increase your reviews on these sites, send follow-up emails with direct links to the platforms to make it easy for clients to submit their feedback. You can also offer incentives such as discounts on future services or entries into a draw for those who leave reviews.

Reach Out to Leads with Email Marketing

Email marketing has been around for decades. Why? Because it works. Studies show that for every $1 spent on email marketing, businesses make an average of $40 in revenue. In addition, according to Forrester Research, companies that stay in touch with their customers generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower rates.

Here’s what to consider:

• Personalization: The easiest way to personalize email campaigns is to address the recipient by name. But you can go a step further to engage new leads by personalizing the content of the email based on their interests and past interactions. For example, if a customer has previously expressed interest in sustainable landscaping, include tips and guides on eco-friendly gardening practices in your emails. Offer value in your emails by sharing landscaping tips, how-to guides, and plant care instructions that align with their preferences and previous interactions. Offering personalized value positions your business as a trusted expert, increasing the likelihood of converting leads into clients.
• Segmentation: Segment your email list based on customer behavior, demographics, or location to send more targeted content. For instance, customers living in urban areas might appreciate tips on small-space gardening, while those in rural areas might be interested in larger-scale landscaping projects. Targeted content demonstrates your understanding of their needs, increasing engagement and the potential for lead conversion. The key is to position your business as a helpful resource and a leader in the industry. Also, include high-quality before-and-after photos of your work to help portray your work accurately.
• Subject Lines: Make sure your email subject lines are short and engaging. This is the first thing your prospects will see, and it has to catch their attention to encourage them to open the email. Action words, questions, and teasers spark curiosity. You can write subject lines like “Transform Your Garden in a Weekend!” or “Is Your Lawn Ready for Summer?” Catchy subject lines increase open rates, giving you more opportunities to convert leads.
• CTAs and Links: Suppose your customer opens your email. Now what? You must include clear call-to-actions and links to guide them toward your desired action. Examples of call-to-actions can be “Get Your Free Estimate Now,” “Download Our Guide,” or “Schedule a Consultation.” Also, include embedded forms to make requesting quotes or booking services easier, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
• Emergency Offers and Urgent Services: Send out emails with subject lines like “Limited Time Offer: 20% Off Lawn Services!” or “Emergency Tree Removal – 24/7 Response” to create a sense of urgency or highlight an urgent service you offer. Promoting urgency can attract leads who need quick solutions, increasing your chances of securing new business.
• Drip Campaigns: As part of your drip campaign, consider setting up automated welcome emails for new customers, introducing them to your business, and explaining what they can expect. Set up follow-up emails after you have completed your service, encouraging them to leave a review or a referral.
• Re-Engagement Campaigns: Also, make sure to send targeted emails to those who haven’t engaged with your business in a while with subject lines like “We Miss You! Here’s 10% Off Your Next Service” or “Still Interested in Landscaping Tips?” as part of your re-engagement campaign to win them back, converting them into active leads.

Start a Referral Program and Partner with Complimentary Businesses

For a more hands-off marketing approach, create a referral program and let your current clients do the work for you. You may be surprised by how quickly they can call up friends, family, and neighbors who have been thinking about styling their backyards. In fact, 93% of consumers trust businesses recommended by friends or family members over other forms of advertising.

Another effective strategy is to partner with local complementary businesses. These partnerships can expand your reach and generate new leads. Think of businesses like:

• garden centers and nurseries
• home improvement stores
• real estate agents and agencies
• property management companies
• interior designers and home staging companies
• construction and remodeling companies

Reach out to them and explain how you can create mutually beneficial relationships. For instance, you could leave your business card or brochure at their checkout counters, offer exclusive discounts and promotions, provide free consultations, or create bundled service packages.

Develop a referral program in which these businesses earn a commission for referred clients. This will incentivize them to promote your services and strengthen your business relationship.

Offer Deals and Promotions

You may have noticed now that customers like money-saving deals and promotions. So why not take advantage of this to generate leads for landscapers?

Here are some deals you can offer to incentivize new landscaping business leads:

• New Client Discount: Consider offering a 10% discount for first-time customers. This could include lawn mowing, garden design, or hedge trimming.
• Service Bundle Discount: You can also create packages for two or more services at a lower price than purchased separately. An example of an attractive package can include a spring cleanup package combining three services: aeration, seeding, and fertilization. Even though you will be charging less, keep in mind that bundling services help you save on travel and setup time.
• Seasonal Discount: You can also run seasonal promotions, such as discounts on services that promote water conservation in the summer, deals on planting seasonal flowers, leaf removal offers during the fall, or a preseason booking discount to customers who book their upcoming seasonal services early.
• Limited-Time Offers: Limited-time offers create a sense of urgency and encourage immediate action from potential customers. For example, you can offer a 48-hour flash sale or a weekend special like free soil testing with any service scheduled over the weekend.
• Emergency Service Discount: To help customers who need immediate assistance, consider offering discounts for emergency services. For example, you can offer 10% off emergency tree removal and cleanup services after a storm.
• Exclusive Promotions: For instance, you can offer your email subscribers or social media followers exclusive offers, like a 15% discount on any new project booked in the next month. This creates a sense of exclusivity and rewards loyal customers.
• Loyalty Discount: Consider offering loyalty discounts that get progressively larger for each new project contract customers sign. For instance, you can offer a 5% discount on their first project, a 10% discount on their second project, and $15% off for the remaining upcoming projects. This will encourage them to stay loyal to your services and even refer their friends, family, and neighbors to you.

Provide Flexible Payment Options

Some potential clients may be interested in your services but hesitant because they may need help to afford the upfront costs. By offering flexible payment options, like installment loans and payment plans, you show your prospects that you understand and are willing to accommodate their unique financial situations.

This can attract more leads by making your services accessible to a broader audience, increasing conversion rates, and setting your business apart from competitors who do not offer such options.

To begin offering customer financing, follow these steps:

• Choose a SaaS Provider: Select a SaaS provider that specializes in landscaping financing. Ensure they have a large and reputable lender network that offers various loan amounts, terms, promotions, and rates. The lender network should cater to various credit profiles to increase the likelihood of your clients qualifying.
• Hassle-Free Integration: Make sure the SaaS provider offers a hassle-free digital form that can be easily embedded into your website. The platform should provide real-time pre-qualifications and on-screen offers to streamline the process for your clients.
• Promote Financing Solutions: Highlight your flexible payment options across all marketing channels, including your website, social media, email campaigns, and in-person consultations. Emphasizing financial flexibility can attract new customers looking for affordable ways to finance their landscaping projects.

By partnering with the right SaaS provider and promoting your financing options effectively, you can attract more leads, convert more inquiries into paying customers, and ultimately grow your landscaping business.

Sum-Up

Now that you know the best ways to get landscaping leads, choose a combination of the ones that work for you and make the most of them. No matter which strategies you choose to adopt, make sure you offer landscaping financing to break down financial barriers and attract new leads.

Remember, the key to success is persistence and adaptation. So, keep refining your strategies based on feedback and results, and stay committed to providing outstanding service. This will help you attract and retain a loyal customer base, securing your place in a competitive industry.